Welcome to Club Med...

Welcome to the Mediterranean!

We have on the fresh sheet menu for this evening is a wonderful char grilled cod with a medley of roasted mediterranean flavors, grilled squash and peppers and crunchy artesian bread.

For two? Of course

Allow me to explain just how the world renowned, James Beard award winning chef of our 5 star michelin restaurant prepare this…or how some doofus dreamt up this slop...

He starts with a mix of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), artichoke hearts, sweet cherry tomatoes, olives, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and fresh thyme in a small pot and slowly heats the medley to marry the flavors...

While that is on the go, he creates a combination of EVOO, 6 year balsamic vinegar, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper for bread dipping...

…that is slowly poached and the garlic roasts and softens advancing to a…well…shall I say "unique" color and texture…but it do tastes fine!

The fresh veggies are washed for their preparation...

And the cod is brought to room temperature, a drizzle of EVOO is applied along with a bit of salt and pepper. Bringing the protein to room temperature allows for even cooking later on.

The vegetables are prepped with again, EVOO, salt and pepper

The chef (or doofus) readies the grill and prepares some oil and paper towel to wipe the grill with to prevent the fish from sticking to the cooking surface.

Here we find the fish on the grill and being turned over once. No need to turn it over and over. And no need to fret about grilling fish and having it stick. As with any meat, if it sticks it's not ready to be moved…when it is ready, a spatula should slip under it with no problem.

A few minutes before the fish is ready, the veggies are tossed on

Not too soft and nice char marks…the BBQ provides everything with that extra char-grilled flavor.

When finished, the fish is transported to the kitchen on a sheet pan and topped with the warm medley prepared earlier and left while the remaining times come together and plated

Oh!…and here is your selection now!

Bon Appetit!

Now That's a Serious Pie...

My lovely bride, Mrs. Blogger Man and one of my wonderful daughters (Miss Blogger Man's Daughter) gave me a great present for last Christmas, a cooking class…or I should say a PIZZA cooking class.

Plus, it was not at some random cooking school or dorky kitchen store…but at none other than Tom Douglas's "Serious Pie". I was grateful the participants were not on "date time". I have gone to other classes where the participants were just on a date night, goofin' off, not really interested in learning…just something to do. This time, everyone was tuned in. Not to be a sour puss, but I wanted to learn stuff and was thankful others did not spoil MY experience there.

OK…enough B.S….let's get to the class, shall we?

They gave us a handout which included a dough recipe…not THIER recipe (RATS!), but one that is apparently close. Their dough is a 3 day process for the restaurant…this one is a 2 day or overnight. It includes bread flour, semolina, yeast (of course) honey, salt, olive oil, water and quite wet.

What we worked with was THEIR flour…soft, supple like a…umm…ah…nice...dough? Here's mine...stretched out on the peel. 

Mr. Jim was our teacher…I believe he said he was the Sous Chef. (must have been a minor earthquake when I snapped the pix) 

We were supplied an assortment of goodies for toppings, red sauce, olive oil, garlic, sausage, pancetta, two types of mushrooms, peppers, escarole, sliced yukon golds and pears.

I decided to make a half and half…red sauce, sausage, olives, peppers and olive oil, garlic, escarole, mushrooms, pancetta.

Behind the line we went to the apple wood fired oven. I noticed the temp was about 680º F. 

So you are now thinking…where's the cheese? They add it when the pies are about 3/4 of the way done, but that depends on what cheese you asked for. We had the choice of fresh buffalo mozzarella, a wonderful truffle infused cheese, parmigiano reggiano and a 22 month old pecorino. 

We were able to sample the cheeses...so I opted for the truffle cheese for the non-red side and the fresh moz for the red side.

Mr. Jim slid the pies into the inferno, spinning them every once in a while…moving them to hotter or cooler areas. The moz was added to my pie first, then baked a bit more…then the thinly sliced truffle cheese was added…baked a bit more, then pulled. When I handed over my creation to be baked, I saw one of the line cooks prepping for the day and mincing up some fresh rosemary…so, I asked them to sprinkle a touch of the fresh rosemary over the red side when it's ready to be cut.

TA DA! I think the combination worked, especially paired with a nice glass of chianti.

Like a well made sandwich, the bread make or breaks the sandwich…I think the dough makes or breaks the pie. 

Thanks ladies!…I hope I can make you some decent pizzas!

Roll Em'!

Here's a quick post of some funny (according to me) food related videos I have found…I bet you have seen some of these...

Up first is a classic…very funny

Another classic..."How Animals Eat Their Food".

Not funny…but interesting…or perhaps just weird.

And lastly…another way peel an egg.

I did post two videos on an earlier entry HERE for your enjoyment and knowledge. 

Tttttthat's all Folks!

Aunt Bethany: Is this the airport, Clark?

Clark: ...Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f#%$&@# Kaye. 

Yep…all in this together…and speaking of together…I have assembled together…some of my favorite sauces...

Up first is the worlds most difficult culinary word to pronounce…Worcestershire (wuus-te-shire). As Chef Greg Atkinson put it, this classic sauce is: “… tangy, sweet, fruity, spicy saltiness, Worcestershire sauce is unique among condiments. It also stands alone in its almost universal appeal - it has been popular around the world for well over a century. Some 25 million bottles a year roll off the assembly line in Worcester, England…”. I am sure everyone out there in blogland has a bottle of it in their pantry. Our bottle happens to be the low-salt version.

According to Wikipedia, it’s made from various ingredients such as malt vinegar (from barley), spirit vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, garlic, cloves, soy sauce, lemons, pickles and peppers. When Messrs John Wheeley Lea and William Perris (both are what we would label pharmacists today) first concocted the stuff, which was so strong, it was deemed inedible so they moved the keg to a storeroom to be forgotten for a few years. After fermenting they discovered it mellowed with age (like a lot if us). They began commercial production in 1837, apparently from a recipe they received from someone who obtained it in India.

Clark: Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?

Well, if Clark was getting Eddie something to eat, I bet he would use Pickapeppa sauce! Their web page states: Pickapeppa Sauce is created using a unique blend of tomatoes, onions, sugar, cane vinegar, mangoes, raisins, tamarinds, peppers and spices. Quite similar to Worcestershire sauce in my mind but a bit more intense, spicier and thicker…see?…just the same!

Ellen: Clark, Audrey's frozen from the waist down.

Clark: That's all part of the experience, honey.

Talk about an experience! When you are famished from stringing all those Christmas lights, a good old BBQ would sure taste good. Next is our favorite non-home made BBQ sauce we've experienced from Pendleton, which includes whiskey of the same name. One main reason I like it (other than it tastes good) as it is made from common, easily pronounced ingredients. In fact, if you were to make a home made BBQ sauce, you would probably use these same ingredients.

Eddie: You surprised to see us, Clark?

Clark: Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

…And I am sure you are not surprised like Clark was when you see this next sauce…Frank's Hot Sauce. That ubiquitous hot sauce obviously for hot wings but equally good to spice up fries, eggs, what have you.

Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?

Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

And your mouth will not be on fire with this taco sauce. I just has that perfect old-school taco flavor. A favorite of Mr. Blogger Man's son.

Aunt Bethany: Grace? She passed away thirty years ago.

This is a graceful addition to anyone's pantry. Think of it as Chinese BBQ sauce…thick and a little sweet. Note!…watch it if you are going to also use soy sauce with it as it can quickly become too salty.

Bethany: Don't throw me down, Clark.

Clark: I'll try not to, Aunt Bethany...

This will easily with a throw-down contest for an authentic Jamaican jerk sauce. A very spicy blend including scallions, scotch bonnet peppers allspice and nutmeg. 

Use carefully…it really is hot but oh so tasty. 

Clark: The most enduring traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin. Thith tree is a thymbol of the thspirit of the Griswold family Chrithmath.

I bet your kith and kin have traditionally use good old Sriracha sauce with the famous green top and rooster on the label. Not an import from Asia, but a fully American made sauce from So Cal but does has it's influences from Thailand. 

A recent article on NPR reminds us of the recent upheaval and scare of the factory being shut down because the factory's neighbors complained about the smell…geez! And now a documentary is out about it. According to the article, the company's revenue grows 20 percent…each year…with zero  advertising.

Russ: Dad.

Clark: Yeah.

Russ: This box is meowing.

Clark: She wrapped up her damn cat.

So, to wrap up…I end with a sauce I blogged about earlier. It's from a recipe I got from a co-worker who replicated it from memory of his grandfather's Carolina tangy-vinegary-spicy BBQ sauce. It's got white vinegar, ketchup, pepper flakes, Tabasco, onion and garlic powder. Great on pulled pork, fries, burgers...your shoe.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

In honor of Veteran's Day...

 ...I am re-posting the following which was originally posted last year.

And Thank You to all who has served in our military and those supporting from home.

This post is a two-fer...Food (what else?) and a salute to Veteran's Day.  The food portion is a Thanksgiving Dinner. And the Veteran's Day part is that the turkey dinner is aboard the US Navy ship USS Sanborn...A "Haskell Class Attack Transport"...the Navy ship my father served on during WWII.

My father writes in his memoirs: "December 7, 1941 came while the whole family were having a picnic in Griffith Park (Los Angeles area) when we heard the news. Everyone in the park started talking about it and were absolutely stunned." He, of course, is referring to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Just 16 at the time, my father went to work at the Lockheed Corporation "bucking rivets in the wings of the B-17".

He continues.."The War Years...These years were not the most pleasant to remember, but they are the hardest to forget".

Needing his parent's signature of approval to join, he joined the Navy in 1944. He chose the Navy so he would not be drafted into the Army. After joining, he was stationed in San Diego for training which included using the LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) boats. These are flat bottomed boats with a flat front ramp. They were brought up onto the beach, the ramp lowered and the Marines would run off onto the beach. 

In addition to his duties in the navigation department onboard ship, my father would also run off with the Marines, grabbing a line from the LCVP to secure it from drifting sideways. They would get back on the boat and go back to the ship for another load of Marines.

In November he boarded a train in San Diego destined for Astoria, Oregon where he hopped onboard the USS Sanborn and eventually sailed back down to the San Diego area for additional training.

Here is the Sanborn

The photo below shows him posing onboard with his other crew members of the ship's navigation department:

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                        /\

NAVIGATION

Back row, left to right—Kormann, Erwin Lowell, RDM3c, USNR; Meier, Byron Frederick, S1c, USNR; Emerson, Robert, Y2c, USNR; Lee, Donald Lawrence, S1c, USN: Front row, left to right — Enge, Leiand Duane, QM2c, USN; Dawson, Thomas Joseph, QMIc, USN; Klein, Andrew Mattley, Lt. (j.g), USNR; Reed, Dale Paul, QM3c, USNR; Gustafson, Harold Sylvester, Q2c, USNR

A young 17 year old fighting for the freedom of America...part of the "Greatest Generation".

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This is the actual dinner menu onboard ship...served somewhere in the Pacific between California and the yet-to-be state of Hawaii. Many of the photos I posted, including the menu above were a part of the ship's "cruise log". Interesting to see besides apple pie and ice cream at the end of the meal, you may also order cigars and cigarettes!

Here we find the ship's galley

A few months after that turkey dinner, they were attacking Iwo Jima on February 19th, 1945. This photo was taken from the deck of the Sanborn.

A LCVP being hoisted on or off the Sanborn

Marines and Navy onboard a LCVP headed for the shores of Iwo Jima. Mt Surabachi is in view.

The USS Sanborn's area to attack was "Blue Beach" which is to the upper right hand side of the photo.
Somewhere down there is my father.

I am glad we can all sleep, eat, vote, think, argue, question, travel and pursue happiness because of them.